January was coldest month in roughly 20 years

Friday

January 2014 broke few records and was the coldest month in about 20 years.

We certainly felt the chill last month. Overall, it was one of the coldest January months in years, but it broke few records.

Freezing temperatures, blowing snow and the wind chill closed schools this week and the first week of the month, but do you remember that brief warm spell and rain we had mid-month? That raised the average temperature somewhat. As of Thursday, the average temperature for the month was around 20 degrees. That’s almost six degrees below the normal for January, according to the National Weather Service.

“It’s probably one of the colder months we’ve had in the last 20 years,” said Robert LaPlante, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Cleveland.

There were seven mornings during January that residents awoke to below zero temperatures. Only two dates broke daily records: Jan. 6 had a record low of 10 below, and Jan. 7 had a record of 11 below. The all-time coldest low was negative 25 on Jan. 19, 1994.

“This is the coldest month since that time,” he said. “That’s why people are feeling the chill.”

As far as snow, the month saw 18.7 inches as of Thursday, which LaPlante said is fairly typical.

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